Austin's injury case against released city of Paintsville settled

Posted on Aug 29, 2014 11:43am PDT

PAINTSVILLE – Billy Austin, a Paintsville fixture for 70 years, has
settled his civil action against the city for injuries sustained on September
26, 2006 in a parking lot near the sheriff’s office. Austin’s
case, set for trial on July 8, settled after mediation. “Out of
respect for our client’s privacy, we cannot comment on the amount
of the settlement,” John Kirk said, “but will say that justice
was done for the very substantial and severe injury Billy received.”

According to the complaint, Austin came to the courthouse to pay his taxes
and stepped into a hole in the parking lot causing a severe hip injury
and subsequent surgery. “You could not see this hole,” Austin
said, “for the water over it. It looked like a smooth surface, like
the rest of the parking lot.”

According to Austin, the injury he sustained has changed his life. “After
all the surgery and everything, I’m back on my feet again but only
with a walker he said. My hip was busted and had to be replaced. It’s
true that the city’s insurance company did the right thing by me”
he said, “but I’d give it all back in a minute if it had not
happened.”

“The attorneys and insurance company who represented the city were
interested in seeing that justice was done and that was a good thing,”
Kirk said. “They approached Billy’s case in a fair and just
manner. In my heart, I think they felt badly for what had happened to
this good man.”